Going “Green” and being socially responsible is a growing rage among big business and the investment community. With oil prices still in the range of 20 year highs, even after adjusted for inflation, and a not so stable political environment, now would seem as good a time as any to be concerned with alternative energy sources and all things that promote smart consumption. So, what can you do from a financial perspective to participate? Most of us are not engineers doing fuel cell research or working for a consumer watch group. However, we might want to look at a hybrid car or investing in one of the many “Socially Responsible” investment options out there.

So, our purpose here is pretty simple. To help you find answers to questions like, “does it really make financial sense for me to buy the Highlander Hybrid or am I better off giving the savings to my favorite charity?” We like the idea of helping you get that answer without you having to know the details of the Energy Act. Unless of course you think mastering the Internal Revenue Service Code sounds like fun in which case we wouldn’t want to interfere. In fact, if that is your idea of a good time make sure to forward your CV to Jason and Aaron, you could be exactly who they are looking for to emcee the Shift Launch party.

Anyway, our goal here is to help you get the answers you need. So, with that in mind we are going to put pencil to paper (actually, it’ll most likely be an intern up to his eyeballs in spreadsheets loaded with financial calculations), and assist you in determining things like whether or not “Socially Responsible” investment options really perform as well as other investment options and what the current issues are on tax credits for companies and individuals who try to go “Green.”

Check back in soon for a comprehensive analysis of whether or not the hybrid vehicle economics makes sense and please forward any questions relating to “Green” business and investing to info@shiftmag.com

----------------------------------------
Craig Lifschutz is Senior Vice President and Director of Investment Strategy for Prosper Advisors, LLC, a New York Based Registered Investment Advisor. You can reach him at info@shiftmag.com